Even though it's still gloomy and cold, I've had enough stodgy food for a while, particularly after glutting my way through the whole of December. This recipe is fresh and zingy, but a hint of chilli and soft, caramelised butternut squash makes sure it still counts as comfort food.
I suppose it's not so much a recipe as a bringing together of ingredients, but first things first you have to make your pickled onions. These aren't like the ones you normally get on the countertop in the fish and chip shop - they're tangy and sour with a hint of sweetness. And they only take about half an hour to make! I followed this recipe from The Kitchn - the most helpful tip is to finely slice your onion into rings, which makes them easier to fish out of the jar later on. I like to let mine marinade overnight, but they can be ready in as little as half an hour! They will keep for a few weeks in a sterilised glass jar (just pop in boiling water for a few minutes and leave to dry on a clean kitchen towel) and they are great with everything from sandwiches and salads to heartier meals like pulled pork.
All you have to do now is roast the butternut squash in the oven for about an hour at 180C. I like to drizzle mine with olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper and a sprinkling of chilli flakes. Hearty herbs like rosemary and sage would also be lovely, as well as a good handful of garlic cloves.
When the edges are starting to brown and the squash is soft, serve on a plate with crumbled feta cheese, coriander and the pickled onions. It's squash season at the moment, so I made 8-10 lunch-sized servings for £4 (40p each).
